Bella
by skittles324
Summary: A story about the Bella Goth from the Sims storylines. From her childhood in The Sims 3 to her disappearance in the beginning of The Sims 2, I'll try to reveal her true self and how she even wound up in Strangetown!
1. Beauty

Alright. So. Hi everybody! =) and welcome to my new story: Bella. This is my first time doing a fic about the sims so be gentle on facts and such and tell me if you think I'm doing something wrong. For the most part though I am taking literary liscence with EA's characters and though I'll be following the plot lines from the Sims3 to the Sims2, I will be omitting the Sims1 storylines as its just easier for me that way. Sooo yea, happy reading and feel free to review and subscribe and visit my page! =)  
>-Your fellow fanfiction addict, skittles324<p>

_**DISCLAIMER: **I, Katelyn, hereby state that I, in no way shape or form, own any of these characters or any plotlines they may be associated with besides my own. So there._

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><p>Let me take you backwards in time to a small, peaceful town on the coast of Simifornia. A town rooted deep in the 1950's culture; a simpler time. A town full of tradition and families, with both beaches and a diverse cityscape. And, of course—<p>

"BELLA!"

…Bella Bachelor.

"BEL-_LA_!"

"WHAT, MOM?"

"DINNER'S READY!"

"'KAY! BE RIGHT DOWN!"

"_Must_ you shout?" Simis Bachelor asks his wife as she moves away from the staircase and into the dining room where he sits, typing up his latest column.

"Well, how else will that girl hear me?" Jocasta answers. "She's always up there in that playroom daydreaming about and drawing. Now move that darn laptop and wash up. Michael will be here with his new girlfriend any minute and I want this place looking ship-shape. And that includes you."

Simis harrumphs, but otherwise does as his wife asks and collects his things from the table. Just as he heads up the stairs to put his things away and "wash-up," Bella prances down.

"Anything I can do to help, Mother?" The nine year old asks.

"No, darling, I have everything covered. Just keep a watch out for your brother."

Bella smiles excitedly and rushes to the large living room window, her wavy black hair flying behind her.

As she sets the table, Jocasta can't help but admire her daughter as she bounces lightly in her black sandals. She has gotten many comments on the beauty of her only daughter throughout the years, and none were exaggerated. Even at age seven, Bella had the power to make heads turn wherever she went, it was a wonder she wasn't a snob. And she really wasn't. Bella was the nicest child the world has ever seen, with a good, pure heart; a friend to everybody. _If only I can get rid of that darn affiliation with the paranormal_, Jocasta thought to herself.

"THEY'RE HERE!" Bella announces, running into the front hall, her hazel eyes wide.

"Finally," Simis adds, walking down the stairs to join his wife and youngest by the front door.

"Now I want you all on your best behavior," Jocasta says as they hear footsteps on the front porch steps.

They all put on their best, welcoming smiles as the door opens and in walks sports-loving, Michael Bachelor with a pretty young girl holding his hand.

"Everybody," Michael begins, "this is Holly Alto. Holly, these are my parents, and my younger sister, Bella."

"Welcome to our home, Holly. May I get you something to drink?" Jocasta asks.

"Thank you, Mrs. Bachelor. And water sounds wonderful." The girl responds, getting a little uneasy under the open-mouthed stare of Simis.

Bella nudges her father and leads Holly into the living room, offering her a chair while chattering on about the bird she saw that morning on her way to school. Michael follows them throwing his dad a look that says "_Don't say a _thing_._"

Jocasta drags her husband into the living room, a glass of water in hand. "Here you are, Holly."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bachelor. You have a very beautiful home."

Jocasta blushes, "Thank you. I would be happy to give you a tour after dinner. If you think the house is beautiful, you should see my vegetable garden."

"Yes, Mike tells me you are an expert gardener."

"Oh, Michael, you flatter your old mother. Shall we continue this conversation over dinner?"

Everyone files into the dining room, Holly discussing her vegetarianism. As they all sit down around the table to plates of Jocasta's fresh autumn salad, Simis blurts out, "ALTO!"

"_Dad!"_

"_Sim!"_

Holly blushes and looks down at her plate, her sentence on the tastiness of tofu dogs left unfinished. Michael and Jocasta glare over at Simis, who sits sheepishly, Bella glancing between the four, confused.

"Please, excuse my husband. He can be a tad…inappropriate at times." Jocasta says, a slight pleading look in her eyes as she regards Holly.

"It's fine Mrs. Bachelor. I get this a lot."

"I suggest we get on with dinner," Michael says, with a hard look at his father. Jocasta and Holly agree and everyone continues eating, Simis holding his tongue throughout.

Afterward, while Bella and Jocasta give Holly a tour of the house and backyard, Michael approaches Simis. "What were you _doing_? Dad, I _really_ like Holly. And she's _nothing_ like her parents. _Nothing_. She doesn't even _like_ them. Please, just please; don't screw this up for me."

"Michael, Michael, Michael…you think I care about her _parents_? I mean yea, they're both the most mean-spirited people on the face of the planet and I _swear_ I saw that Vita Alto literally steal candy from a baby at the park…but that's not what I'm focused on."

"Then _what_?"

"_Money_, Michael. _Money_. They have more than the Goth's could ever dream of! She is way too good for a small, working-class family like us. That girl will never have to work a day in her life!" Simis exclaims.

Michael stares at his father, dumbfounded. "M-money? That's what this is about? Just cause she has more money than us? Dad, this is ridiculous."

"I don't think you're understanding just _how_ much money we're talking about here." Both Simis and Michael look out through the kitchen window at the two women talking over a tomato plant, Bella off to the side on the swing-set. "Nothing will ever be denied her. But if her parents don't approve, you're screwed. They'll easily buy her a new boy in a second. And we're much too poor for them to approve of you. Evil or not, they want the best for their daughter, and that means rich." Simis turns to stare his son in the eye. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't, Dad. Holly really likes me, and I…I think I love her, Dad. She's amazing. I mean…just _look_ at her," Michael turns back to the window, his puppy-dog eyes following the head of auburn hair as it bobs around the garden. "I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

Simis recognizes the look on his son's face as the look he had given his wife when they were first courting, and believes his confession of love. "Alright, if you're really sure of her, I'll support you in any way I can."

"Thank you, Dad."

Bella laid on the cool, wood floor of her playroom, staring at the ceiling decorated with black, orange and yellow butterflies. She thought about the altercation at dinner. _Alto? What does that even _mean_? It's just her last name, what's so special about that?_ She yearned to talk to her best friend, Mortimer Goth. He knew everything about everything and was a year older than Bella, though they were in the same grade on account of Bella skipping the first grade. Bella yawned, it was way past her bedtime, and was about to get up and go to bed when she heard a creak. It was the stairs! But that was weird…everybody had gone to bed hours ago. Being the brave little girl that she was, Bella crept quietly out of the playroom, making sure the door didn't make a sound as it was opened. It did anyway.

"Bella? Is that you?"

_So much for being quiet_, Bella thought. "Michael? Is that _you_?" Bella called up to the third floor.

"Who else would it be silly?" Michael chuckled lightly under his breath. "Come on, let's go down to the kitchen," he suggested.

Bella nodded seriously up at her brother and waited patiently until he had walked down to the second landing before heading down the stairs to the first floor.

When they were both settled with a glass of milk each and in their pajamas, (her in a pink, floral pattern top and bottom set, him in a western set complete with cacti and horses) Bella asked Michael why he and Jocasta had made such a big deal over Simis blurting "Alto" at the dinner table.

Michael looked out the dining room window, across the street to his neighbor's, the Clavell's, house. He took a deep breath and looked over at his sweet, little sister. Beautiful, innocent Bella. He thought of her dearest friend, Mortimer Goth, whose parents, though the founders of the town, were the creepiest pair around; always dressing in black, and with their creepy manor on the hill complete with its own graveyard. They were also one of the richest families in town.

"Bella, you've been to Goth Manor, right?"

"Sure, loads of times," she responds, her brown eyes going bright at the mention of her favorite house in all of Sunset Valley.

"Well…it's a lot bigger than our house, right?"

"It's hu_mon_gous!" Bella exclaims, about to launch into an elaborate description of the cryptic house before Michael stops her.

"So that would cost a lot of money, right?"

"Well…yea."

"Think of our house," Michael said, "compared to the Goth's. Seems like a shack, right?"

Bella nodded.

"Now, why do you think the Goth's have a huge manor on the outskirts of town, while you and I are stuck here at regular old 12 Sim Lane?"

"I don't know," the small girl replied.

"Money, Bella."

"Money?"

"Money," Michael said. "Gunther Goth makes a _whole_ lot more money than Dad could dream of."

"But what does that have to do with Holly?" Bella asked.

"You see, Bella, these rich people aren't supposed to really…be friends with people like us. They need to be friends with other rich people."

"So…is Holly rich like Mortimer?"

"Mhmm. Even more rich then Mortimer, actually."

Bella's eyes went wide. She pictured the large expanse of Goth property. For somebody to have even _more_ than that was inconceivable to the naïve child. "So is that why Daddy was so surprised to see Holly? Because you two aren't even supposed to be friends?"

"Exactly," Michael said, proud that he was able to introduce the ways of the world to his little sister.

"But wait…Mortimer and me are friends. How come people are okay with _that_?" Bella questioned.

This is where it got tricky. "Well…," Michael paused for a second, his sister's curious face burning a hole into his head. "That's a little different."

"But wh_yyy_?"

"Well, Bella….you're pretty. Beautiful, actually. And beautiful people are pretty much treated the same as rich people. So it's okay for you to play with Mortimer, because he's rich and you're pretty."

Bella looked more confused than when they started. "I still…don't really understand."

Michael looked at the clock; 3AM. "You will when you're older. Now, c'mon, it's late. Let's go to bed."

Bella laid in between her grey sheets and mulled over what her brother had revealed to her. Rich people? Beauty? What exactly _were_ these things? And how could they _possibly_ be related? She would apparently have to wait until she's older to see for herself.


	2. Best Friends

And weeeeelcome back! =) I would like to excuse any mistakes made in the last chapter (such as spelling and the fact that there were no breaks, i have found a way to fix that, and also i think i listed Bella's age as two different ages, for the record i want her to be seven for that last chapter and this one) and would also like to thank the two that reviewed =) reviews make me happy, i think all fanfic writers would agree lol. So, without further ado, the second chapter ooof: _Bella  
><em>**ENJOY!**

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><p>Bella looked around at all the gloom and drear that was Goth Manor. She was able to see, through the large windows of the gazebo, Mortimer with his father, playing chess.<p>

"Ah, Bella. How nice to see you."

Bella looked up to a harsh face set with lilac-colored eyes and a smile. As well as topped off with graying, purple hair. Cornelia Goth.

"Hello, Mrs. Goth, is Mortimer home?"

"Of course, dear, of course. Come in, come in," she waved her hand towards the door and turned to go inside, Bella walking quickly behind the tall woman. "Bella, dear, may I present my sister, Ms. Agnes Crumplebottom. Sister, this is Bella Bachelor, a close friend of Mortimer's."

"Ah, yes. The famous Bella Bachelor. I've heard many good things, many good things."

Bella was speechless. If anyone was famous it was the recently-widowed Agnes Crumplebottom. The poufy-haired woman was known all around Sunset Valley for the tragic drowning accident of her husband, Erik Darling, on their honeymoon. She didn't even have time to change her last name.

"Mortimer is in the gazebo, dear," Mrs. Goth said.

"Yes, thank you," Bella replied. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Crumplebottom."

"Yes, pleasure." Agnes said quietly, her eyes clouding over as she stared into the cupful of tea on the table in front of her.

Bella left the two women to their tea in the kitchen and walked through the side door to the gazebo.

"Check mate, ol' chap. Best two out of three, eh? Ah, Bella!" Gunther Goth's face lit up at the sight of his favorite little girl.

As did Mortimer's when he turned quickly in his chair to face her. "Bella!"

"Well I'll leave you two to it; I shall be in my study if you both should need me. Good day to you, Miss Bachelor," Gunther said as he walked past Bella, tipping his top-hat as he went.

Bella giggled and walked down the few steps into the foliage. "Hi, Mortimer."

"Hi, Bella. I didn't know you were coming over today. We can play chess, if you like. Or go swimming or bike riding or—"

"Am I pretty?" Bella blurted.

Mortimer looked confused. "Of course. You're the prettiest girl in Sunset Valley. Probably in the whole world!"

"Are…are you just saying that?"

"Why would I 'just be saying that'?"

"Well…because you're my best friend."

"Yea. Best friends with the prettiest girl ever!"

Bella giggled. "Okay, okay. So what do you want to do? I was thinking maybe riding our bikes up to Pinochle Pond to fish."

Mortimer smiled. "That sounds great."

Bella and Mortimer sat happily by the pond at Pinochle Pond basking in the sun and eating the watermelons Mrs. Goth had packed for them.

Bella relaxed lazily, taking in the scenery around her.

"Bella?" Mortimer asked, shaking her out of her revelry.

"Yes?"

"Why did you ask me if you were pretty or not? For as long as I've known you, which is pretty much my whole life, you've never worried about what you looked like."

"Well…Michael said that we were friends because you're rich and I'm pretty."

"Why did he say that?"

Bella relayed the events of dinner with their distinguished guest.

"So…your dad acted like that because…she's rich?"

"I don't really understand either."

"Well…it kind of makes sense."

Bella was surprised. "What do you _mean_ it makes sense? It makes _no_ sense. Why should beautiful and rich people be treated better than everyone else? It's not fair."

"It's life, Bella. Of course it isn't fair."

The seven year old was not able to wrap her young mind around the world not being the happy, peaceful, perfect world she knew. "Mortimer…I would still like you even if you weren't rich."

"Even if I lived in a cardboard box under the old pier at the beach?"

Bella laughed at the image of the noble Goth's living in a small little box. "Even then."

The two kids stared out onto the water once again, happy with each other and the comfortable silence between them.

"Bella?" Mortimer said quietly, staring at the girl shyly out of the corner of his eye.

"Yea?"

"I…I'll always think you're pretty."

Bella stared at her best friend, dumb-founded, before quickly turning away and blushing. "Thank you, Mortimer."


	3. Enter, Rich Boy

So I would like to start off with an apology. I am very sorry I have not updated, I had no idea it had been a month since my last update! Since because it had been so long I decided to post this little unfinished chapter to hold you all over and then just continue it and post it as chapter four. So this chapter ends a little abruptly lol. And I would like to thank _Melinda, Alexandra, Platina _and _HardlyWitches _for pushing me to post this tonight lol, I don't know how long I would have taken if they had not spoken up and reminded me that people were waiting on me. So thank you all very much and I am very sorry to have kept everybody waiting. Hopefully you all are still with me and remain faithful!  
><strong>Enjoy!<strong>

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><p>Fifteen year old Bella Bachelor woke up at the usual seven A.M. and went to go take a shower. She dressed in her usual black skirt that reached her knees, red button-up t-shirt and matching strappy sandals, before heading to the kitchen where her mother was eating breakfast.<p>

"Good morning, Bella. Running a little late?" Jocasta asked, taking a look at the clock on the stove.

"A little," Bella answered, munching down a quick bowl of cereal. She was washing the bowl in the sink when a horn honked outside. Bella gasped, "I'm late!" She rushed past her mother with a quick kiss on the cheek and a hasty, "Bye!"

"Have a good day at school, dear," Jocasta called out as Bella grabbed her backpack and rushed down the front walk of her house to the school bus that waited on the curb, the driver still honking.

Bella boarded and settled into a seat in the front by a window. She stared at the scenery pass by as the bus sped toward town, stopping only to pick up other students, headed towards the Community School for the Gifted where chattering kids and teens unloaded and went inside. Bella, though, instead headed towards the student parking lot where an old, black Big Lemon was parked, a somber teenage boy leaning against it.

"Good morning, Mortimer. Sleep well?" Bella greeted her closest friend warmly.

"Hello, Bella. I slept alright. Yourself?"

"Fine, fine. So, I was having some trouble with last night's homework and I was wondering if you could—."

Bell stopped short, for the most amazing Bwan Speedster YL had entered the lot, with the richest, most gorgeous teenage boy Sunset Valley had ever seen inside of it. Seventeen year old Malcolm Landgraab.

"Earth to Bella, you sure you slept alright last night? Seems to me like you're a mindless zombie."

And indeed she was. Malcolm was Bella's little obsession, one that nobody, not even Mortimer, knew about.

"Uh, y-yea, I'm fine," Bella stuttered, a dazed look on her face as she watched Malcolm step out of his car and head towards the school.

"Um…alright. Well, come on, it's time for homeroom."

BBBBBBBBBB

_He's so gorgeous. But I bet he's never even so much as _looked_ at me before. Probably doesn't even know my name…_ Bella mulled over Malcolm Landgraab as she walked gracefully through the halls, unwittingly catching the eye of every boy, and the occasional girl, as she moved toward her next class. _I bet he already has a girlfriend._

Of course, what happened next was meant to be. If only because Bella wasn't looking where she was going.

"_Ooomf!_"

"Hey!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Bella exclaimed as she fell to her knees to retrieve the books that had fallen when she rounded a corner and crushed into an unsuspecting person.

A deep, manly voice chuckled above her, the owner of which crouched next to her to help gather his things. "It's no problem; I _was_ in a bit of a rush. No harm done."

Bella looked over to see Malcolm Landgraab smiling at her. She felt like if there was ever a moment to faint in her life, for not much could make Bella Bachelor light-headed, it would be now. Silent, she handed him the books she had gathered and he smiled at her again.

She suddenly gained back her usual courage and smiled her beautiful smile. "Hi, I'm Bella. Bella Bachelor," she said, standing and extending her hand.


	4. Rich Boy, Continued

Sooo...my bad. Sorry, guys. I know it's been three months and I really have no excuse as to why it's been so long. I do have to say that my updates should be going at a pace of once a month, sorry, but it's just got to be this way until things settle down. Though I will try to update sooner than on a monthly basis. This new chapter is really short, I wrote it in my AP Lit class, but at least it's something. Happy reading! And thank you to all of my readers for their patience and enjoyment of this story. Hopefully you all will remain faithful.  
><strong>ENJOY!<strong>

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><p>"Malcolm Landgraab," he introduced himself, standing as well. He was about two heads taller than her and his smile was very charming.<p>

Bella's heart fluttered. "I am really sorry. I should have been paying more attention."

He laughed warmly, "Don't worry about it; no bruises or breaks. So, you wouldn't happen to be Michael Bachelor's little sister, would you?"

Bella nodded.

"He's a nice guy, I've seen him around town a lot, I like him. Is he still dating Holly Alto? I heard through the grapevine that they were planning an engagement," he said. "Not that I would know for sure," he added with a smile.

Of course he wouldn't. The Landgraabs and the Altos were sworn enemies, though nobody knew why. Some would say it was because of the two families' enormous wealth. But what about the Goths? They had just as much money and nobody hated _them_.

"Um, yea, you heard right. He's planning on asking her to marry him. And between us, I think she'll say yes."

Malcolm smiled. "Good, they make a good couple. I've always liked Holly."

The shock on Bella's face make Malcolm laugh. "I do like Holly. Or, at least, she gives out a good impression. We don't see each other much, even if we do live close by, and even though our parents hate each other, I've never seen anything bad in Holly."

Bella smiled, happy to see how understanding and kind Malcolm was. Suddenly taking in her surroundings, she realized that they had walked all the way to him car in the parking lot. She had been so absorbed in their conversation.

"You know, I wouldn't mind getting to know your brother. I could give you a lift home, if you'd like."

Bella's heart raced. "Th-that sounds great."

Malcolm smiled his perfect smile. "Cool, hop in."

BBBBBBBBBB

Malcolm stood on the porch of the Bachelor residence along with its four occupants. It was late, and they were all saying their goodbyes.

"Well it was nice speaking with you, Michael."

"Yea, it was nice seeing you, too. We should get together sometime."

"That sounds great. And thank you, Mrs. Bachelor, that dinner was terrific."

Jocasta blushed.

Malcolm placed his hand softly into Bella's. "I'll see you, Monday, Bella," looking straight into her eyes.

"Y-yea. Bye," she replied quietly, her stomach filling with butterflies.

Once he was in his fabulous car and had driven down the road, Jocasta squealed. "Malcolm Landgraab! _My_ baby and Malcolm Landgraab! Oh, honey, I'm so happy!"

"Mom," Bella blushed in embarrassment and walked inside.

"But Malcolm Landgraab! Beautiful, rich, just what my daughter needs."

"Mom…what?" Bella was perplexed.

Michael laughed. "Beautiful and beautiful go together, Bella."

Bella thought back to the late night discussion with her older brother eight years ago.

She turned to her father. "Dad? What do you think?"

The family had migrated to the sitting room and Simis had dropped himself onto the couch, looking star-struck. "So…rich."

Bella sighed. Is that really all her family cared about? Wealth and beauty? True, they weren't exactly living the high-life complete with a mansion, maid, and butler, but they were making a modest amount of money with a respectable house in the suburbs. What was wrong with that?


	5. Perfect

So here it is, my November post =). For those of you intrigued at Malcolm's sudden interest in Michael, I was really just trying to have it come off as Malcolm wanting an excuse to spend time with Bella, sorry if it didn't come out like that!  
>I'm not quite sure if I like this chapter, but I needed a little filler for what's coming next, but anyway, <strong>ENJOY!<strong>

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><p>It had been three months since Bella and Malcolm had run into each other and as winter set into Sunset Valley, (not that winter could ever really "set into" the perpetually summery town) the twosome became inseparable. Everywhere Malcolm went, Bella was with him. And people <em>loved<em> them together; the beauty and the aspiring doctor—how perfect was that? Their life would be just that: perfect. And even though they were still in high school, people already heard wedding bells when the budding couple passed by.

For their two month anniversary Malcolm had decided to treat Bella by taking her out to the best restaurant in town: Little Corsican Bistro.

"Oh, Malcolm! It's beautiful!" Bella cried.

In a nice, black tux, Malcolm stood on the Bachelor's front porch, a bouquet of red roses in one hand, a gold chain with a gold heart for a pendant dangling from the other. "I'd hoped you would like it," he smiled. "Here, take these," he said, handing her the flowers, "and let me put it on you."

She obediently turned and moved her hair, which had been expertly styled, (by Jocasta) and felt the familiar hands of her boyfriend move around her neck and clasp the necklace.

"There, beautiful. Just like you," Malcolm complimented, bending to kiss her cheek.

Bella blushed, still not quite used to Malcolm's endless compliments. "Come in, I'll just put these flowers in water and we can go." Bella led him inside and as they passed through the dining room to the kitchen, they were met with a chorus of greetings.

Malcolm smiled in his own greeting at the four people grouped around the table: Simis, working on his laptop, and Jocasta, Michael and Holly, all working on wedding plans. Soon after Bella and Malcolm's meeting, Michael did indeed propose to Holly and the nuptial date was set for just four months from now.

"So what are the plans for tonight?" Simis inquired. After three months of Malcolm hanging around the house, Simis had gotten over his star-struck feelings toward him and was now able to have a normal conversation with both him, and Holly, as well.

"Oh, just dinner, Mr. Bachelor. Perhaps a movie, afterward, if that is alright."

"Oh, well it _is_ a special occasion," Jocasta said, "I don't think it could do any harm for you two to stay out a little later than usual. Have her home by eleven thirty, Malcolm. I trust you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bachelor. Eleven thirty it is, and not a moment later," Malcolm said, grabbing Bella's hand and leading her to the front door.

BBBBBBBBBB

"I can't believe how fancy this place is!" Bella exclaimed.

Malcolm smiled. "I knew you'd like it. It's one of my favorite restaurants." He opened the door and stepped back, allowing Bella to walk in before him. "Table for two, please," he said to the maître d'.

"Of course, Mr. Landgraab. Right this way."

The man led them to a quiet, out-of-the-way booth, which made Bella happy. Even after three months of being together, she still wasn't quite used to the stares she and Malcolm attracted.

They both sat and the host handed them their menus and announced that their waiter would arrive shortly to take their orders.

Malcolm put down his menu and reached out to take Bella's hand in his own. "You are so beautiful, Bella," he said, admiration in his eyes.

"Thank you," Bella blushed, a common occurrence in Malcolm's presence.

"No, really. You're gorgeous. Every woman pales in comparison to you. You're perfect."

"Malcolm…."

"No, Bella. Truly you are the perfect woman. I could think of no better woman to be my wife."

"Wife?" Bella practically screeched.

Just then a server approached their table and asked if they were ready to order. Bella stared at Malcolm in a gaze of utter shock as he smoothly ordered grilled salmon for both of them. The young girl copied down the orders and left with the promise that she would return promptly with their drinks.

Malcolm turned to Bella again. "Yes, Bella. Wife. I love you. I would be honored to spend my life with you. I know we've only been dating for a few months and that we are in high school and have years to go before we can even consider getting married, but I am positive that you are the one for me. You're perfect, Bella Bachelor. I want to make you forever mine."

BBBBBBBBBB

Bella stood out on her back porch, thinking over her date with Malcolm. After dinner she didn't even want to go see the movie. So, skipping dessert as well, Malcolm drove her home once they finished eating their salmon. After a gentle kiss goodbye, he was off again in his car, heading back to his fabulous home. But not before extracting a promise for her to call him tomorrow, understanding that she needed her time to think, but also wanting her to know that he was okay that she did not yet love him back, but was confident that she one day would.

She wasn't so sure. He was cute to be sure, and very ambitions. But….

That was it. Her parents heartily approved, and his own parents were very kind to her, the sign of their approval on the match. But she didn't feel the sparks. He was certainly romantic, he did just the right things, but she just didn't like that _he_ was the one doing them. She wanted someone else. But she didn't know who.

And who knows? Maybe this was what she was meant for. To be Bella Landgraab. But is this what she wanted for the rest of her life? To be the wife of a rich, handsome doctor? She didn't even love Malcolm, and doubted she ever would. Bella was fond of him, sure, he was a wonderful man, but just wasn't what she wanted for a husband, and she couldn't even say why.

She knew she was out of her mind, (who _wouldn't _want to marry a rich, handsome doctor?) but couldn't help herself. She didn't want to marry Malcolm and that was that.

But if she didn't…what would become of her? Her parents, though they would support her, would never understand. Nobody would, they would all think she was insane. Any other girl would consider this a dream come true! But Malcolm didn't inspire Bella. She no longer got butterflies whenever he was around, he was fun to be sure, but she found that she didn't really like him in the first place. She enjoyed her space and Malcolm was forever in her life. He brought her to and from school, and often hung around afterwards for dinner. He didn't do it obsessively, he was nothing if not polite, but she felt crowded. She didn't want someone hanging over her shoulder for the rest of her life.

Bella walked down the steps, past her mother's garden and walked through the gate to the part of the yard that held the swing set. She sat down on the rusting seat and swayed lightly, back and forth. She didn't know what to do. All she knew was that she didn't want Malcolm.


	6. He's Baaack

So, Happy Holidays everybody! =)  
>Spend the rest of your December with some good friends, family, and yummy treats lol.<br>On a side note: thank you _Esmeralda_ for your SUPER cute post, it made me smile so much lol, Merry Christmas!  
>For the rest of you: here's the December post. Sorry it's so short = I wasn't really motivated to write this month (found out i was deferred to my first-choice college =( ). Anyways! I hope you all **ENJOY!** chapter 6!  
>(btw, Mortimers back ;) )<p>

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><p>"So…this is it, isn't it?"<p>

Bella looked over at Malcolm in surprise. "What?"

They were in Central Park, relaxing by the pond on a picnic blanket.

"C'mon, Bella. You've been quiet all afternoon. You called me up asked me to meet you here to talk, and you've barely said a word. I know you were taken aback last night, I understand, and I don't expect you to love me back, but the suspense it killing me."

Bella turned her head from Malcolm's inquisitive stare. "I know, I'm sorry. It's not right to string you along like this."

"So you _are_ breaking up with me?"

"I…I guess so."

"You 'guess' so? Bella, look at me."

She did.

"Bella…I'm not going to force you into anything. Look, I know last night was crazy and you need some time to think all this over, but don't do this. We're good together, everyone thinks so."

_Everyone but me_, Bella thought. She thought about the night before, how she didn't really feel any sort of spark for Malcolm, and how she didn't want to be his wife. "Malcolm…I'm so sorry. Believe me, I am. But…I think we need to spend some time apart. This just isn't working out anymore. I'm sorry." Bella got up and walked away toward the exit of the park, trying hard not to look back to see Malcolm's face. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, but she also didn't want to lie to him. And she especially didn't want to lie to herself, pretending to be happy with him.

BBBBBB

Bella sat up in her room, relaxing on her bed. She had just got done explaining to her parents what she had done.

Jocasta had, predictably, cried and begged Bella to call Malcolm up and smooth things over. Simis seemed a tad indifferent to the news and had pulled her aside while her mother wailed. _I want you to be happy_, he said. _That's all that matters to me_.

Bella knew her mother's heart was in the right place. She wanted the best for her children, and Bella had just thrown the best away. Jocasta would come around eventually.

_*Bring* *Bring*_

Bella sat and looked at the caller ID on her cell phone: Mortimer.

He had been unusually absent during the past three months. Whether it was because she spent all her time with Malcolm, or that Mortimer simply had avoided her, the two hadn't shared a real conversation in a long time. Bella answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Bella…hi."

"Mortimer. It's been a long time."

"I know. I…I heard about Malcolm. I figured you might want to talk about it."

Bella laughed lightly under her breath. "Haha, not really. So, how've you been?"

He'd been okay. Over the next two hours it was really Bella who did all the talking. She went on and on about Michael and Holly's wedding, which Mortimer and his family was invited to, and school and such. She mostly rambled about nothing and that was what she needed. To just talk to someone, particularly her best friend, about random things she was thinking about. With Malcolm she hadn't really been able to do that; it was mostly about upholding appearances with him, being the pretty, smart, quiet girl. With Mortimer it was different; she could be completely herself.

"Well, it's eight. I need to go eat dinner. See you at school tomorrow?" Bella asked.

"Yea, sure. It was nice talking to you, Bell," Mortimer replied.

Bella smiled before exchanging good-bye's with the teen and clicking the "End" button on her cell.

Nobody had called her "Bell" before. Malcolm had tried once but she had readily corrected him. Her name was "Bella" and that was that. But…she found she rather liked it when Mortimer said it.


	7. Love and Happiness

Here it is =) chapter seven! I hope to update about once a week until the middle of August (when I start school again), and then I'll shoot for once a month updates (or maybe every other week).  
>Now, I am trying to keep up with this story real-time in my Sims 3 game and now I need to start all over again so I'm gonna focus on that all weekend (going on a road-trip, should have plenty of downtime for simming) and hopefully have chapter eight up next friday at the latest.<br>This chapter, like all my others, is short. I know for a fact the next one will be as well but I hope after that I will have a little more content and length to the chapters. Enjoy! =)

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><p>"I do."<p>

"I do."

Bella smiled as she watched her brother and Holly kiss, flower petals raining down on them.

Jocasta sniffled and turned to her daughter. "Isn't it just so lovely?"

Bella agreed and grabbed her mother's hand as they watched Michael and Holly walk back up the aisle between the seats and toward the Alto's pool area where food and drinks were being served.

The crowd gathered was beginning to stand and move about, walking around the grounds and commenting on the ceremony. After making sure that her parents were settled, Bella made her way over to Mortimer, who was standing with his parents. She greeted Mr. and Mrs. Goth before grabbing Mortimer's hand. "Hi," she smiled up at him.

His answering smile was warm and gentle. "Hi."

Gunther coughed and grabbed his wife's hand. "Why, I do believe we shall go give our congratulations to the Altos," he said, leading Cornelia over to where Vita and Nick stood by the seating area.

"So…how did you like the ceremony?" Bella asked.

"It was…alright," Mortimer replied.

"Al_right_?"

Mortimer chuckled. "Everything's just a little too extravagant for my taste," he gestured to the waiters walking around carrying trays of glasses of champagne, the elaborately decorated garden, the white silk ribbons and balloons that were placed _everywhere_.

True, it was a little overdone, but Bella loved it. It was like the wedding she would have had with Malcolm.

She felt Mortimer squeeze her hand. "Thinking about him, again?"

Bella shrugged. "A little. Just thinking about what it would have been like to marry him."

Mortimer leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Ours will be even better."

Bella smiled and giggled, turning her head toward him and smiling wide. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied, before laying a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Bella! Come on! We're taking a Bachelor Family portrait with my new daughter!" Simis yelled across the lawn.

Bella chuckled and walked over to her family, their new addition smiling widely in white. Bella gave Holly a hug. "Congratulations, and welcome to the family."

"Thanks, Bella. You've been such a big help. It feels nice to finally be married and settle down."

"And to be moving into a slightly warmer household?" Bella whispered conspiringly.

Holly grabbed the younger girl's hands and leaned toward her. "A little. It will be nice to live in a home with a big, happy family. And very reassuring to know your parents are just downstairs," she laughed.

"Alright, you two. Let's take this picture!" Simis interjected.

Bella watched Holly go stand next to Michael and hug him tight; she knew they were a perfect couple.

She felt a hand go around her waist and looked up to see Mortimer. She smiled. They were a perfect couple, too.


	8. Strangetown Syndrome

Has it really been almost a whole year since I last updated? Gee, don't I feel like a bad writer (insert nervous laughter and embarrassed blush here.) Please don't hate me! I have to say...it's been a tough/interesting year for me. I'm not going to make any promises (I'm sure you've all heard them all before) but I do not plan on giving this story up! I have so much I want to do with it lol. I hope you all **ENJOY!** this next chapter (it was pretty difficult to write) and please please please review and check out my Sims videos on YouTube! (Link is on my profile page.)

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><p>It's been three years since the union of Holly and Michael Bachelor, and life in the Bachelor home has been somewhat quiet and smooth. Simis and Jocasta continue to work and grow older, Bella, now nineteen, has graduated and now works with her mother as a Cash Register Specialist at the bookstore.<p>

Michael works at the Llama Memorial Stadium as a toddler sports coach and Holly is a paramedic. Both are exceedingly happy seeing as how Holly has begun to take some off from work now that the two of them are expecting a baby! The whole household was ecstatic when they found out. Especially Bella, she couldn't wait to be an aunt.

Speaking of Bella, she and Mortimer are still together and doing just fine. People were a tad scandalized that she had picked the loner Goth heir over Sunset Valley's golden boy, but after a while everyone adjusted and agreed that Bella brought out the best in Mortimer. Bella didn't go a day at the bookstore without someone asking if Mortimer had popped the question yet.

He hadn't, to the surprise of everyone. It was apparent to every person in Sunset Valley just how much Mortimer adored Bella and everyone was stumped at the lack of nuptials. But, today we shall not be focusing on young love; instead, we shall look into the lives of a young marriage.

BBBBBBBBBB

"Alright, honey, I'm off to work," Michael said as he came into the bedroom.

Holly looked up from her book and smiled. "Okay, have a nice day. I love you."

Michael walked over to her and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. "I love you, too. I hope you feel better."

She laughed. "Me, too. I can't seem to kick this bug."

"Well, just stay in bed and when I get home I'll take care of you."

She smiled and rubbed her hand on her expanding belly. Michael bent and kissed both her hand, then belly, and went down the two flights of stairs to the dining room where his mother and sister were eating lunch.

"Hey, Mom? Can you check up on Holly every once in a while? She isn't feeling that great."

"Oh, sure, honey. I'll take care of everything."

"Thanks," he said. "See you guys later!"

Bella and Jocasta called out their goodbyes as Michael went out the door and got into his truck.

BBBBBBBBBB

Michael stopped by his boss's office to pick up his paycheck of two hundred simoles. It was Saturday night and no matter how much he loved the little toddlers he coached, he couldn't wait to go home to his pregnant wife. He soon would be teaching his own toddler the ways of sports and he couldn't wait.

He walked out of the stadium and climbed into his Vorn P328—a beautiful green truck that was his pride and joy.

Driving through town with the windows down, Michael Bachelor felt pretty good. He had a good job, a loving family that let him stay with them rent-free, a beautiful wife, and a baby on the way. Everything was going perfectly.

Michael turned onto Sim Lane and as he approached number 12 he saw an ambulance out in front of the house.

Trying to quell his rising panic, Michael pulled into the driveway and had barely turned off the engine before he was rushing into the house. The house seemed deathly quiet, but he heard a few soft voices from upstairs. Michael sprinted up the two flights of stairs, where he saw his mother and father, crying.

When his mother saw him, she rushed into his arms and began crying on his shoulder. She kept repeating: "We did the best we could, we did the best we could…."

Michael looked at his father, tears starting to well in his eyes. "What happened?"

"Strangetown Syndrome, Mr. Bachelor."

Michael looked over as a woman in a white lab coat entered the hallway, closing the door to the bedroom behind her. "My name is Dr. Jolina; I am an infectious disease researcher."

Michael moved his mother back to Simis before shaking hands with the doctor. "What's Strangetown Syndrome? Is my wife going to be okay?" he asked her.

"Strangetown Syndrome is a disease that affects about one in five hundred people; needless to say, it is not very common. On the outside, it may seem like nothing at all is wrong with a person while on the inside their body is shutting down. The disease seems to come to a head mostly in pools; a person is swimming fine one minute, and then suddenly can't seem to get out of the pool, ending with them drowning. In Holly's case, she just simply fell asleep."

Michael stared at Dr. Jolina. "You mean…she's sleeping?"

Dr. Jolina stared down at the floor, shuffling her feet for a moment before looking sadly into Michael's eyes. "No. I'm sorry, Mr. Bachelor, but I meant that she died in her sleep."


	9. A Bleak (Or Bright) Day

Hope you like this update =) And don't worry, things won't be so glum next chapter.  
>Remember to favoritefollow this story and, of course, review! Check out my profile to get the link to my YouTube channel to see some Sim videos.

**ENJOY!**

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><p>It was a bleak day all around.<p>

Bella Bachelor stared up at the large, dark statue of the Grim Reaper and sighed. Holly, her dear friend and sister, was dead. Mourners milled around on the other side of the lake, talking and consoling each other outside of the mausoleum where Holly's body would reside until the end of time.

"Black becomes you, Bella."

Bella shook her head a bit to clear her thoughts, and looked away from the statue to her boyfriend, Mortimer. He gave her a small smile and took her hand. "I'm so sorry for your loss, honey," he said.

Bella sighed again and put her arms around Mortimer's waist, placing her head on his chest and listening to his steady heartbeat. "I'm going to miss her."

"Aw, Bell." Mortimer placed a hand on Bella's head, smoothing down her black tresses.

Bella allowed a few tears to escape her eyes. So far, she had not cried in front of anyone. Wanting to appear brave in front of her family, she had only mourned her loss in her room, after everyone had gone to bed. But with Mortimer, she felt safe. It was okay to be weak in front of him.

BBBBBBBBBB

At the after party held at the Villa Alto, Bella sat on one of the outside couches with her sobbing mother and Mrs. Alto. She was amazed. Vita had not shed a single tear throughout the entire ceremony; it seemed that she did not care about her only child's death at all.

"Oh, to think that only three years ago they were married at this very estate!" Jocasta cried.

"Yes, I suppose that is a shame." Vita replied, though she didn't really seem to be listening.

Bella looked over across the patio to the fire pit where her father and Mr. Alto sat, talking. Bella was a little nervous, Simis had a tendency to say the wrong thing, especially in front of important people, but they seemed to be getting along alright. She then moved her gaze across the lawn to the pool, where her brother stood, staring silently into the water. She got up from the couch and walked over to him.

"How are you holding up?"

Michael shrugged, not looking up from his reflection in the water. Bella walked over and stood next to him, staring at her own self in the water. Michael, she knew, was a good-looking enough man, but didn't hold a candle to her. Her black hair, usually wavy, had been ironed straight that morning, and it shone in the sun. Her hazel eyes shone as well, brightening her face and her tan skin. Bella was beautiful and she knew it.

Michael and Bella's reflections caught eyes in the water and held. Bella saw the pain in her older brother's eyes and her heart broke for him.

"What am I going to do now, Bella? My wife, my child…they're gone. I have nothing now."

Tears started to well in his eyes and Bella hugged her brother, running her hands on his back, trying to comfort him. "It'll be okay, Michael. It will, I promise."

"It certainly doesn't feel like it," he sighed, pulling himself together. "I don't know…maybe I just need to make a new start. There are too many memories associated with that house."

Bella pulled away a bit and looked her brother in the eye. "What do you mean?"

Michael sighed and walked over to the bar and grabbed a drink from the bartender. Bella followed him. "What do you mean, Michael?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise for her. For the baby."

"Michael…."

He turned to his little sister. "I bought a house."

Bella was taken aback. "You did _what_?"

"A house, Bella, I bought a house. With the baby on the way, I figured it was the perfect time for Holly and me to move out and start our family in a house of our own. I bought this quaint little home with a pond out back and a big spacious living room. I was so sure she was going to love it. And now I'm going to be there alone."

"Oh, Michael," Bella moved toward her brother. "You don't need to move out. Just re-sell the house. Mom and Dad will let you stay as long as you want."

"I know, Bella. But…I think it's a good idea for me to do this. Give me some time to think and mourn Holly in peace. It's really hard to concentrate with Mom crying around the clock."

Bella and Michael looked over to their mother who was indeed still sobbing, Holly's friend Bebe Hart consoling her while Vita looked on with disdain.

"Yea, Mom has been a little over-emotional," Bella agreed.

"Exactly. Plus, I just can't…be there anymore. She died in that bedroom, Bella. I haven't even been able to step a foot in there since last Saturday. The idea of lying in that same bed where she died…I just can't do it." Michael drained his glass and reached for another from the bartender.

Bella looked at her brother and tried to understand all the pain he must be feeling.

"I'm twenty eight years old, Bella. It's time to grow up and be a man."

"I'll miss you," she said, sadly.

Michael looked over at his sister and gave a little smile. "I'll miss you, too, pretty Bella. But I'll still be around. You can visit any time you want. And I'll still come to the house to see you, Mom, and Dad."

"You know they won't let you go without a fight."

Michael chuckled, perhaps for the first time since Holly died. "Yea, I know. But my mind's already made up."

Bella sighed sadly, but smiled. "Well, I guess I can't stop you."

Michael put his drink down on an end table next to one of the lounge chairs. "C'mon, let's go take a walk through the topiary maze."

Bella smiled and held out her hand to her brother. He took it and smiled back at her. It was going to be awhile before Michael completely got over Holly's death, if he ever did, but Bella knew that her older brother was going to be okay. As they walked across the manicured lawn of Villa Alto, for what they both knew was the last time, Bella welcomed the soft kiss of the breeze as it blew through the air. Michael was making a new beginning for himself, breaking the boundaries he had lived by his whole life. Maybe Bella should be doing the same thing.


	10. A Wedding and a (Long-Ago) Funeral

Hi, Everybody! Here is a little bit of happiness after the sadness of the last two chapters. Just so you all know, I did some rearranging of the chapters and so chapters 8-10 are brand brand brand brand BRAND new! So be sure to read them all so you don't miss anything!  
>Remember to favoritefollow this story and, of course, review! Check out my profile to get the link to my YouTube channel to see some Sim videos.

**ENJOY!** this look into happiness =)

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><p><em>Five years later…<em>

Bella looked at herself in the full-length mirror (that had been brought in from the master bedroom for this exact purpose) and couldn't help but smile. Her dress had been styled by her to fit her own style and personality, and she had gone to the Sharma Day Spa that afternoon to get her hair and makeup done. Bella Bachelor looked absolutely perfect.

She had decided to keep her hair down, an idea her mother had at first protested against, but Bella liked it down, and knew Mortimer felt the same. She had natural colors covering her eyes and lips, accentuating her beauty in such a way that it seemed as if she was not wearing any makeup at all.

A familiar knock at the door (and a more familiar sniffling sound), announced her mother's presence. "Come in, Mom," Bella called.

Jocasta entered the Goth's spare bedroom and gave a cry as she saw her youngest child, and only daughter, in her wedding dress. "Oh, Bella, you look…you look…OH, MY BABY!"

Bella couldn't help but laugh at her mother as Jocasta broke into fresh sobs. "Thanks, Mom," she said.

Simis knocked on the doorframe. "Can I come in?"

"Sure, Dad."

Simis entered and gave his daughter a once-over, tears welling in his eyes. "You look so beautiful, Bella."

"You look good, too, Dad. And so do you, Mom," Bella said to her parents.

Jocasta had her graying hair up in a usual bun, and was in a pretty red dress with black trim, black hoop earrings, and black, backless shoes. Her husband was in an off-white suit complete with white shirt, blue tie, and green-brown shoes. Her brother, Bella knew, would at least be in a normal black tux.

"Well, aren't you a pretty bride?"

Bella looked at the door and saw her _very_ soon-to-be mother-in-law: Cornelia Goth. Cornelia had her short gray hair expertly styled over her right eye, and her purple dress screamed elegant with its black corset-like waist and deep blue underlining. To complete the ensemble she wore an elaborate black and purple necklace and, of course, her signature purple lipstick.

"Thank you, Mrs. Goth. I must say, you look very elegant."

"Thank you, Bella. All the guests are downstairs and we are ready to begin the ceremony. It's ten minutes to nine; it is time to walk down the aisle." With that, Cornelia looped her arm through Jocasta's and led the still crying woman out the door.

Bella took a deep breath and slowly let it out. This was the moment she had been waiting for. In a few minutes she would descend the grand staircase of Goth Manor and marry the man she loved. She looked to her father. Simis was, of course, admiring the room in which she had been getting ready in. It was a nice enough room with green brick walls and red wood paneling, decorated with red and black curtains that covered the windows. It had a door leading out to a small balcony that, if Bella had wanted to, she could have seen her guests driving up the hill to the manor. "Dad? Are you ready?"

Simis looked over at her. "Hm? Oh! Yes, of course!"

Bella gently put on first one, then the other, white glove to complete her wedding outfit. The gloves went up a little past her elbows and were made from the same simple satin as her dress. She reached out a gloved hand to her father who took it and placed it in the crook of his arm. They were ready.

Together they exited the room and descended the old, grand staircase. The boards creaked a bit under their weight, but held steady. Once they reached the bottom, a butler hired just for the occasion opened the front door for them. They walked under the large, iron, candle-lit chandelier and went into the dark, cool night. They descended the front steps and then the orchestra began the traditional wedding march.

Freshly planted white rose bushes and white lit candles lined the new stone walkway that led them right, to the large willow tree, the oldest living tree in Sunset Valley. Stone benches laden with guests were placed on the opposite side of the bushes and candles, all facing the tree and the white, wooden, flower-laced arch placed underneath it.

And there he stood.

Twenty-five year old Mortimer Goth looked marvelously handsome in his black tuxedo. His black hair was slicked back, his mustache looked freshly oiled, and Bella was sure she had never seen him look happier than he did right then.

Once they had reached the arch, Simis took Bella's hand and placed in into Mortimer's waiting palm. His part in the ceremony done, Simis backed away and took his place on a stone bench next to his wife.

Mortimer took the hand he was holding and kissed it. "You are so beautiful, Bella," he said.

She didn't answer and as the orchestra's song came to its end, they turned and faced the officiant.

BGBGBGBGBG

Bella walked away from the party, which was in full-swing at this point, and moved towards the empty area where she had just been married. Bella Goth. It had a nice ring to it, didn't it? She certainly thought so.

The candles were still burning from earlier and as she stood under the arch, this time by herself, she placed her hand on the smooth, white wood. She closed her eyes, remembering the ceremony that had taken place just two hours ago. She smiled, remembering their "I do's" and their first kiss as man and wife. It was magical.

She then felt a hand on her waist and another grabbing at her left hand. She laughed as Mortimer first kissed her wedding ring and then kissed his way from her hand to her elbow, and then all the way to her shoulder. "Oh, Mortimer," she said. Bella relaxed, letting her back rest gently on his chest and put her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, Bella," he replied. "I am going to try very hard to make you happy, my dear. Anything you want, it's yours."

She smiled. "I already have everything." She shifted her head slightly so that her lips met her husbands and they shared a long, slow, passionate kiss.

"Awww, aren't you two the absolute cutest?"

The two break apart and look for the source of the voice.

"Over here!"

Bella looks over to the Goth Manor Graveyard to see a young woman, (well, a young _ghost_), waving at her. Then, the ghost fades away, still smiling and waving.

Mortimer sighs. "That's Lolita. Some distant relation of mine. Or, so I'm told. I actually have no idea how she's related to the family."

Bella frowns. "How did she die?"

"Electrocuted. To be honest, that's probably why there are no TV's, stereos, or computers in the manor."

Bella turns to Mortimer. "I thought that was because your family is so old-fashioned."

Mortimer laughs. "That, too. C'mon, I'll give you the grand tour of the graveyard."

Together they walk through the creaking, black gate into the section of the yard that holds the Goth ancestors. Mortimer introduces her to his relatives and Bella looks at the graves. It would seem that they all have died of old age; the dates on the headstones put everyone well into their eighties. And then they reach the far corner where one, small, plaque is placed. This plaque seems older, more weathered than the others, and has dirt and daisies covering the front of it.

The plaque simply reads "Dear Lolita Goth, may you rest in peace." There are no dates, no other information regarding the death of the young woman except for a bronze lightning bolt.

"How old was she when she died?" Bella asks Mortimer.

He shrugs. "Nobody knows. But I can only assume very young. She's quite childish; out of all the ghosts she's the one who plays the most pranks."

Bella couldn't help but smile at the idea of this trickster ghost floating about the manor, springing out of toilet seats in the middle of the night and scaring the Goth family.

"Do you like ghosts?" Mortimer asks her, bemused.

She shrugs. "They don't seem all that bad."

Mortimer laughs and grabs her hand. "Well, I will be sure to remember that. Come. Let us get back to the party so that our guests may bask in your unearthly beauty."


	11. A New Life

Hope you all **ENJOY!** this chapter!  
>Remember to favoritefollow this story and, of course, review! Check out my profile to get the link to my YouTube channel to see some Sim videos.

* * *

><p>"Okay, open your eyes!"<p>

Bella felt the soft fabric of the blindfold removed from her eyes and she obediently opened them. Her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped in surprise.

Mortimer placed his hand on her shoulder, his eyes searching her face. "Do you like it?"

"Oh, Mortimer…I love it!"

The two had spent the better part of the morning driving, Bella sitting in the passenger seat with a blindfold on. Now, they stood in front of a small, two-story, gray, brick house.

Mortimer smiled. "Would you like a tour of our new home?" Bella nodded enthusiastically and grabbed his hand.

Together they crossed the front lawn and stepped onto the soft, off-white stone porch. They stopped in front of the elegant wood door that had an oval-shaped, frosted window pane in the middle of it. Here Mortimer produced a gold key with a flourish and unlocked the front door. Bella almost squealed with delight at the interior.

Beautiful, printed blue wallpaper with black wainscoting lined the entryway walls; the wooden floor tile was of a remarkable, elegant design. Mortimer led her through an archway to what she assumed was supposed to be the kitchen. It had sunny yellow walls with blue tile on the floor. He opened a side door that led to the green and yellow bathroom, but when Bella reached for the handle of another door, Mortimer stopped her. "I want to show you that part last."

He then led her back to the front of the house and through another door. "This is to be our bedroom," he explained. Bella smiled, liking the décor of tan and dark green-blue.

Next he led her up the stairs where a single room was decorated with the same wallpaper as the entry, only with cream-colored carpet on the floor. "I know the house is small but—."

"But I love it," Bella said with a smile.

Mortimer looked relieved as he smiled back. "You haven't even seen the best part."

After re-entering the kitchen, Mortimer grabbed Bella's hand. "I hope you like it."

"Oh, Morty, stop being so nervous. I love this house! I love everything about it. This is best birthday present I have ever received."

Mortimer nodded seriously and opened the door Bella had previously not been allowed to. She was amazed at what she saw.

Beyond the small patio was a walkway that led directly into some smart, green hedges. These hedges were surrounding a group of headstones. "But Mortimer…who are they?"

"Some old family. Mostly extended relations from my father's side of the family. But there is more to the surprise. Come."

Bella followed her husband through the graveyard, stopping in front of two headstones that stood side by side. Bella sunk to her knees in front of the two stones, gently running her hands over the names engraved on them.

"Grandma and Grandpa."

"Yes, Bella. You are a part of my family now, and I wanted this to reflect that. There may be relatives of mine laying in this graveyard, but now there are some of yours, too."

Bella's eyes watered. "Oh, Mortimer."

"My Bella, my love, my life," he knelt down next to her. "Are you happy?"

"I don't think I could ever be happier."

BGBGBGBGBG

Bella Goth rubbed her expanding belly and walked up the stairs, using the railing for support. She stopped at the top and surveyed the room. For the past year she had kept the room empty, both she and Mortimer unsure of what to use the upstairs space for. Now they both had the perfect idea.

The deliverymen had just left after bringing in the new furniture, and the nursery looked almost complete. There was just one, tiny thing missing.

"Bella? Darling?"

"I'm upstairs, Morty," Bella called.

Mortimer joined his wife and kissed her on the cheek. "What are you doing up here?"

Bella sighed contently and rubbed her stomach, looking around the room. "Just trying to picture it."

"Picture what?"

"Being a mother."

Mortimer smiled at his young wife. "You are going to be a perfect mother, Bella. I'm sure of it."

Bella laughed and hugged her husband, her swelling belly preventing her from fully wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "You're so sweet to me. What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Mortimer bent and kissed his wife. "Oh, sweet Bella. You had only to be unwittingly perfect."

BGBGBGBGBG

Bella awoke from a dreamless sleep to the sound of a baby wailing. "Oh…Morty?" In her groggy state she turned over and weakly shook her snoring husband. "Morty, wake up. The baby's crying."

Not opening his eyes, her husband mumbled some unintelligible words and turned away from her. Moments later he began snoring again.

Bella sighed and threw the covers off of her. She swung her legs to the side of the bed and began to rub her tired eyes. Cassandra continued to wail. After trying, and failing, to find her slippers in the dark bedroom, Bella moved slowly through the house and up the stairs to the nursery.

She left the lights out and made her way over to the bassinet in the dark. She leaned over and lifted the two-month old into her arms. "Shhh, Cassie, shhh," she soothed. Bella moved the small girl so that the baby rested on her shoulder, and she patted Cassandra's small back. "It's alright, honey, Mommy's here."

Cassandra began to calm down, her wails turning into whimpers before finally she just let out the occasional hiccup. Bella walked about the nursery and sung soft lullabies in the baby's ear, bouncing her lightly in her arms if it seemed Cassie was about to start crying again.

Bella sighed and looked out the window into the yard below where a few ghosts were moving about, mostly minding their own business. Uncle and Auntie (Mortimer's great-uncle Samuel and his wife Olivia) were suspiciously absent from the ghostly gathering. Bella could only assume they were in the house somewhere, trying to execute their latest scare tactic.

Bella shifted so that she could see her daughter's face. The small, round face looked very peaceful as the babe slept. Bella kissed the smooth skin of Cassie's forehead and placed the baby gently back into the bassinet. After making sure she was tucked in tightly under her covers, Bella crept silently back down the stairs and into her bedroom.

Mortimer didn't stir as she silently opened the side door and went out onto the back patio. After moving in, the couple had planted a handful of shrubs and flower beds around their wide expanse of property, but what Bella really loved was the small fountain they had installed. She walked over to it now, the rushing water soothing. She ran her hand under the cool spray of water and sighed.

This was her life now. A wife, a mother, a woman who stayed home…all alone…all day. She felt so much older than she was. She had turned twenty-six a few months ago. But, she didn't regret her choices. She loved her home, her daughter, her husband. She loved making dinner and setting the table, her husband coming home and kissing her on the cheek, always with a bouquet of flowers in hand. She was lucky, she knew, to have the life she did. And yet….


	12. Author's Note: I'm Baaack (So Get Ready)

Hello all! 

Just wanted to give you all an update since it's been..well...forever since I last visited this fic. And, we are **BACK ON THE AIR, FOLKS! **

I lost a lot of motivation for this fic for awhile, and if I'm not motivated, I don't do it. But I'm back in the writing groove and already have the next few chapters for this lined up.

Now, I'm not going to lie, I'm also in the process of bringing to life another fanfic which will be my #1 priority in the writing department. But _Bella_ is a close second! I'm hoping to update the other fic about once a week, and this fic every other or every three weeks.

I realize I may have lost a lot of you, but maybe you'll get over your hurt feelings and we can all get back on track and enjoying some _Bella_ =)

I'm thinking this fic is about half-way done, but it depends on how far I want to take this. I'm also thinking a sequel ;) 

Well, that seems to be everything. Happy New Year to you all! Let's make it a year full of fanfics =) 

~Your fellow fanfic addict, Katie


	13. Loss

_Well, here it is! The next chapter (took me long enough, huh?). The way I have it planned out, there are ten chapters left in this fanfic (including both this chapter and the epilogue). I'm hoping to update this fic about once every other week. But since I also want to sort of just have this fic be done and over with, I might update a little more often than that. Now that I see an end in sight, I'm much more motivated to work on this fic lol._

_This is a rather short chapter, but I really wasn't sure how I wanted to convey this part. But this is just a hiccup along the way. The next chapter will be MUCH longer. _

_Without further ado, **Enjoy!**_

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><p>"Oh Watcher, we thank you for your incredible intelligence and for watching over the lives of your Sims. We thank you for Jocasta's long and fulfilling life. May you continue to watch her grave. Amen."<p>

Bella Goth looked over her mother's grave, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her mother had died simply of a broken heart.

Simis had died of old age a few months ago, and without him Jocasta had been afraid to even leave her home. The last few months of her life had been lonely. Bella wept greatly for her parents.

Mortimer stood off to the side, their three-year-old daughter in his arms. Little Cassandra seemed unaware of the bleak occasion and squirmed, wanting to get down and play among the tombstones.

Michael approached his sister and put his arm around her shoulders, tears also in his eyes. "What do we do now?" She asked him.

Michael sighed. "We just keep going, Bella. Life is for the living."

Bella shook her head, but didn't answer.

The siblings stood there while all the other mourners left and returned back to their own lives—ones untouched by loss.

"We'll have to sell the house. I can't bear going back there…is that how you felt when Holly died?" Bella asked her brother.

Michael's face showed even more pain at the mention of his late wife, even though she had died of her strange illness a decade before. "Yes," he answered simply.

Bella felt a hole in her heart that only a parent's love could fill. She had lost both her parents in the course of a few short months and she felt the sting of loss acutely. She was not yet thirty years old and had already attended the funeral of three dear loved ones.

How much must she endure in this life of hers?

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><p><em>Follow, Favorite, and Review!<em>


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